What Goes Around Comes Around
by Emony1
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects. Spoilers: The Honeymoon is Over
1. Chapter 1

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 1?  
Author: Emony  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Word Count: 1,427.  
Beta: shadowdiva. Thanks hon, and for getting me to write it... and add to it.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Ray woke up. The light from his ground floor window filtered in through the curtains he'd pulled closed haphazardly the night before. His alarm was blaring; he reached to it and smacked the off button hard. He lay back, letting his head hit the pillow, getting the will to get up and start his day. This was the day. He was going back to work. 

He rubbed a hand over his face. Two years. Two years since he'd set foot in that hospital. Two years since he'd seen - no, he wasn't thinking about that, about her. He'd been right when he'd told her she wouldn't visit. Two years and all he'd had from County was the gossip from Katey through visits and phone calls and emails and letters.

The pain of that loss, of that complete cut off from his life was awful. But it was nothing, nothing compared to waking up in the morning and curling his toes; only to find his toes aren't there anymore - again.

Ray sighed and lifted himself up by his stronger arms, ready to start the day.

* * *

Greg sighed; today was going to be difficult. Today was going to be a nightmare. Today was going to be one of those days where he wished he'd not taken Moretti's position six months ago when the other doctor left to oversee another department. 

Gates was going to make a nuisance of himself. That was a given. Especially with Sarah around, doing a teen program at the hospital. Someone to play up in front of for Gates.

Morris and Hope were in their on again phase, so sickly sweet pet names thrown across the ER were the name of the game. Frankly he preferred the off again frosty silences.

ICU was lending them the new transfer, Dr Chase, for the day. Which would mean the nurses would be on a go-slow.

Abby was off, only in to bring Neela by.

Neela. Today was her big day. Only another month and she would be back to work. They'd be putting her back in the ER, letting her get used to practicing medicine again before letting her loose in surgery. Hopefully Gates wouldn't play the part of stalker again, no matter how thankful he was for it on that one day.

The worst part though, the worst part had just walked through the front doors, a big smile on his face.

"Hey, Pratt."

Greg just looked at him.

"Pratt?"

"Barnett. Here, take these charts and get to work." He told him, thrusting a hand full of charts in his direction.

"What? No, hey Ray, good to see you, how's it going, man?"

"No. Get to work."

* * *

This was not what he had expected. Sure, he'd thought that there might have been some hurt due to him not wanting anyone to know. He didn't need the pity. But this was definitely not the reaction he had expected. Even the new guy, Chase, had been cool towards him. He hadn't brought up Neela, but then it was obvious that no one else had either. And the moment Katey had been called down from ICU had been mind blowing. It had been like an ice storm. 

Now he was sitting in the locker room, scratching at the bottom of his leg. Pratt had just walked in, glaring the moment he noticed Ray.

"Pratt?"

"Barnett."

"You got any idea what all this is about?"

"All this?"

"The freeze out."

Pratt gave a little laugh, a curious smirk across his face. He was just about to answer when the door opened and Abby popped her head around it.

"Hey, Greg" She started, ignoring Ray's presence, "can you take the little man for a bit, we need to head upstairs."

"Sure."

The door opened further, and a little boy, Joe, raced in, "Uncle Greg!"

"Hey buddy!" Pratt laughed as he swung the kid up onto his hip, "How's my little man today?"

"Great!"

Ray tuned out the kid as he babbled about his Aunty Nee and the pictures they'd spent the morning drawing. He caught a glimpse of the corridor as the door swung shut, Abby wheeling a dark haired woman away in a wheelchair.

"Barnett?" Once he'd caught Ray's attention Pratt continued, "We'll continue this later. It's not something for the little man to hear."

* * *

As his shift came to a close Ray slumped into the locker room again and sat down on a bench. He waited as everyone filtered in and out; receiving glares from most people and a "don't make things worse, Barnett" from Gates. He still had no clue what was going on. 

"Barnett, you're coming with me." Pratt announced as he hung up his lab coat in his locker.

"What?"

"You want to know what's going on? You come with me."

"Sure, where to?"

"The park."

"Right."

Both men were silent on the drive. Once the car was parked Pratt only asked if he was ok to walk a bit.

They came to a stop a little distance from a statue.

"Did you hear any news the day you left town?"

"You know what day I left?"

"Not my point man, not my point. Did you?"

Things began to connect in his mind.

"There was some sort of rally, shots were fired, and someone got trampled. Katey said the woman was a real pain in the ass, she spent almost a year having to deal with her."

Pratt laughed that little laugh again and a shiver rolled down his spine.

"Right, you know your girl, she's a real piece of work, and you know me, I'm not one to say that about a lady."

"Hey. Katey has done nothing but stand by me, and she was the only one who did."

"Whatever. You wanted to know right? You know, for all I hate the guy Gates and his stalker tendencies are the only reason Neela's even alive."

"What?"

"You heard me. That real pain in the ass? Neela."

"No, Katey would have told me."

"Would she? Ray, she saw Neela daily for the first four months, the four months she was in a coma. Through each and every surgery. Every working day of the year Neela was a patient in this hospital. I was just outside the door the day she told Neela you knew - and had for months."

"She, she what?"

"I only figured it out today, that you didn't know. I knew Katey could be- man, I didn't think she would have taken it that far. I bet you wondered why, no I bet you didn't, you know Neela told me what you said that day, that you said she wouldn't visit. You were right, it killed her that she couldn't visit, that you didn't want her there even if she been able to, but you're actually more manoeuvrable than she is these days. It would have had to be you doing the visiting and she thought you hated her, blamed her. She definitely blames herself. Calls all this her karma."

"Karma?"

"Your legs."

"My legs?"

"She thinks it's her fault, because of everything, because of what Katey said to her that day, and each and every time after. She thinks she deserves the coma, the breathing problems, the fifteen separate surgeries on her legs." He looked pointedly at him. "The wheelchair."

"Wheelchair? That was her, wasn't it, with Abby?"

"Yes. They live together these days, Neela looks after Joe when Abby's at work and they keep each other going."

He nodded, "Because Luka's looking after his Dad in Croatia, right?"

"Right. You know that but not Neela?"

"I-"

* * *

Pratt drove him back to the hospital and he sat in the lounge waiting for Katey to drive him home. Katey. She must have known he would find out. She- 

He stopped his train of thought as he heard the door open behind him; he tensed, ready for the fight. He heard the tapping of what used to be the only warning that Weaver was about to pounce.

He turned his head slowly; she stood there, frozen. He looked her over; the crutch...the scar over the left side of her face -

"Neela."

She gave him a small smile, somewhere between worry and despair, and moved to her locker.

"I just needed to pick up some forms I left."

"Right, Neela, I, I didn't-"

The door opened again. It was Katey. Neela grimaced and looked away from them both, hurrying away as quickly as she could on her unsteady legs.

End part one


	2. Chapter 2

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 2?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Ends Justify The Means  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Word Count: 1,596.  
Beta: shadowdiva, thanks again. hon.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

As the door swung shut behind Neela he turned towards Katey. She had an uncertain look on her face, a half smile. A look he realised he had seen a lot over the course of the last three years, even more so since his accident. All at once every conversation he'd ever had with her flew through his mind; he shut his eyes.

He couldn't look at her right now.

They stayed like that for a few moments; him sat on the bench and her standing in front of him - as if she was about to stand in between his prosthetic legs like a hundred times before. He stood up suddenly and she jumped back, worry finally covering her face.

"Ray?"

"Not now. I just want to go ho- to my apartment." He moved towards the door, not looking at her, "you've got the car, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Not now, Katey."

* * *

Hope watched as Ray and Katey left the ER together. She turned and tugged on Archie's shirt sleeve,

"Did you see that?"

"I did." He said, grinning at her. "Come on, you owe me a cup of coffee for that thing I did last night."

"Ok then, your place or mine?"

"Yours."

They left the ER and headed in the direction of Hope's small apartment only a few blocks away.

"So, what do you think?" she asked her boyfriend.

"About what?"

"About Ray and Katey, silly!"

To be honest she felt major league guilty over the whole Ray thing, that she'd stopped Ray and Neela from having that conversation at Abby's wedding. If she'd let them talk maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Ray wouldn't have gotten hurt and then Neela wouldn't have gotten hurt. All she'd wanted was to let Abby and Luka have their day be about them and them only.

"Oh, that. I think that's one girl who's going to be hearing it tonight! Seriously, Ray's always been a cool guy and all, but that girl led him up the garden path with all this. You know, I think she even lied about Neela, from what I heard today he never even knew about her accident."

"Really? Katey didn't tell him? No, of course she wouldn't. That little madam! Oh! I hope he gets rid of her. And wouldn't it be lovely if he and Neela got together?"

Archie looked at her sighed.

"Now, Hope. I think that you're a little ahead of yourself there. As much as I'd love to see them both happy there's a lot going on that we don't know about and it will take a while if it ever does happen."

"But the feelings are there, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Big time. Have been for years, pretty much since they moved in together, at least on his side. He's just always let himself get distracted from her other men with silly little girls."

* * *

It seemed to Ray as if every drive that day was full of silence. This time he wanted it. He stared out of the passenger side window, physically away from Katey as she drove. They exited the car in silence and entered the apartment the same.

"Ray, can we talk now?"

"I can. You're going to listen."

"But-" He help up a hand to stop her.

"No. I don't want hear anything from you right now."

He sat on the sofa he'd bought the week before, when he'd been oblivious to his girlfriend's machinations.

"I just, I cannot believe you. Did you not realise that the day I got back to County I'd find out the truth?"

"I-"

"Shut up. You disgust me. I feel physically sick. Were you so insecure about Neela that you had to resort to lying to keep hold of me? Looking at you now, there's no other way you could have managed it."

She flinched at his words, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"No, don't even try the drama queen act. I've seen your true colours now," he scrubbed at his eyes, "I can't believe I didn't see this before. How didn't I? Was I so low that you got in like that?"

"R-"

"Stop it. Not only did you come between me and the woman I- between Neela and I, but you let everyone I know think that I'm some insensitive and unfeeling asshole. No matter what I do now, I'm still going to be the guy that ignored Neela for two years while she was in a coma then a wheelchair."

He paused as he sank further into the sofa, itching to take off the prosthetics, but not wanting her to see him as weak, not now. He looked at her; the tears were really coming now.

"Ray?" He nodded; finally ready to let her have her say.

"I, I." She took a deep breath, "I love you."

He laughed, a broken laugh. "No you don't, you just think you do."

"But, I do. I really do. You're it for me. I had to make you see that."

"By lying your ass off?"

"It was what you needed to hear."

"What I needed to hear was that Neela- that she wasn't avoiding me like I thought, that she hadn't given up on me. That she was hurt!" He was really shouting now, hopefully not loud enough that the neighbours would call the police.

"No, you needed time to heal. She couldn't let you do that. She'd have made it all about her. You needed it to be about you."

"No, you made it all about you. When you love someone you don't make it about just yourself. There's two people in a relationship, you need to learn that."

"Will you let me?"

He looked at her incredulously and began to laugh, it was either that or cry.

"Ray! Don't laugh at me."

Her screeching was making him want to reach for his meds even more than he already wanted to. Too bad he still had an hour to go before he could take the next round. That thought made him wonder about Neela, what meds she was- _no_, he shook his head, _not yet_.

"What?"

"You're an idiot. You think you can do what you've done and I'll let you stay?"

"_Let_ me stay?" she was getting angry now, "Let me stay? What the hell will you do without me Ray? How are you going to get to work? Who's going to help you if you fall out of bed again? Who's going to hold you the next time it hurts so bad you cry?"

He laughed, the next time?

"It won't be you."

"You won't manage without me."

"I'll thrive without you. You're like a leech sucking the life out of me."

She laughed bitterly, "Oh, I get it, you're going to crawl back to iher/i."

"What I choose to do or not to do has nothing to do with you. Even if Neela and I are through I don't want a lying, scheming manipulator in my life or in my bed. You know what?"

"What?"

"You're no better than Gates. Everything I've thought about the way he treated Neela, it's what you've done. It was all about winning and never about me, wasn't it?"

"What? No."

"It was. Whenever it looked like you were going to lose, you upped your game. I bet you didn't even call Neela until the day she finally showed up at the hospital. And why the hell did they call you and not her anyway, did you change my emergency number? You did, didn't you?"

"You didn't need her, she was nothing but a parasite!"

"No, that's where you're wrong. You're the parasite. She may have made some mistakes, but she wasn't the only one."

"Ok, I'm going to go to bed, wait for you to calm down and think this through."

"You really haven't been listening have you? I've thought this through. I want you out of my apartment. Take your stuff and go back to your own, now."

She stood still, gazing at him in confusion.

"Now. Get out!"

He watched silently as she moved about the apartment picking up her crap. He watched as she headed for the door, dropping her key in the bowl on the way out.

"I love you Ray."

As the door shut he laid his head back against the sofa.

"Shit."

* * *

Katey leant against the apartment door trying to control her breathing she heard him swear, and echoed his sentiment. She'd known this would happen, she'd thought she could salvage it. Where the hell had he gotten the 'winning' thing from? She loved him, how could he not know that?

Everything she did, she did it for him.

She sighed as she stood up straight and gathered her bag from the floor. She headed out into the daylight and ran for the car. She pulled away as soon as possible and parked a block away.

The tears ran free again as she tried to convince herself she could get through this. That he'd calm down and start thinking sensibly. Maybe she could call Jacy; she always knew how to talk some sense into her son.

Taking a deep breath she slid the car back into drive and headed to her apartment, she'd have to extend the rent another week or so. As she drove she replayed the argument over and over, trying to find a way she could have done things differently, could have changed his mind.

She still had a chance. She just knew it.

End part.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 3?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Inertia.  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Word Count: 1,031.  
Beta: shadowdiva, thanks, hon.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Abby Lockhart was sat in the sun washed kitchen area of the apartment she shared with her son and Neela Rasgotra. She sipped at her mug of coffee, the only breakfast she would have that day, and smiled at Joe as he attempted to eat his breakfast.

"You realise that would work better if any of it got into your mouth, right?" She asked as his favourite of mashed bananas were smeared across the plastic table of his high chair. She hid a smile as he giggled and showed her his open hands as evidence.

"I guess not." She told him as she picked up his spoon and began feeding him, leaving the cleanup until after he'd finished.

"Is he painting with the mashed bananas again?" Neela shouted from the hallway between the bathroom and the living area.

"Yeah. I thought you'd got him to stop doing that."

"Maybe he wants to show his Mommy his special trick." Neela commented as she limped on by in a towel headed for her room to get dressed.

"Great." She turned to Joe, who was once again painting, "Is that it, little man? Huh, is that it?"

His only answer was a giggle.

By the time Neela was dressed and ready to have her own breakfast Abby had finished feeding Joe and was getting on with the long process of cleaning him and the highchair.

"You guys have plans for today?" she asked Neela.

"I thought we'd do some actual painting this morning and then someone is going to visit you and his uncle Greg at work whilst I have my first week check up on this crutch." She answered; gesturing towards the crutch leant against the table.

"Sounds like you're going to have fun this morning then, little man." she said as she put a clean Joe in his playpen, kissing his forehead, and then headed towards the bathroom to attend to her makeup. As she stared into the mirror, applying makeup, she carried on the conversation.

"Are you going to talk to-"

"Abby!"

"What, I'm just saying-"

"I don't want to talk about this again."

"You can't avoid him forever, if all goes well today you'll be back to work in a few weeks. How's it going to work then?"

"We'll find out when we get to it."

Abby rolled her eyes at her reflection.

"Do you have to be so stubborn, Neela?"

"Abby." Neela growled, warningly.

"Don't Abby me. It's been two years, you need to deal."

"I already have."

"Sure." _Of course._

"What goes around-"

"Comes around... I get it. It's the karma thing again. You need to stop that. You know as well as I do that it's not true."

"It-"

"No. You know what I heard?"

"What?"

"He didn't know."

"He what?"

"Katey didn't tell him about your accident."

"But she said-"

"I know what she said, Neela. But that's not what she did. He's been giving her the freeze off even more than anyone else when she's down in the ER."

"Still, that doesn't mean anything."

Abby sighed as she put the finishing touches to her makeup and left the bathroom. Walking to stand in front of Neela, she put her hands on her roommate's shoulders and looked her in the eye,

"Neela. Really, you need-"

Neela glared at her,

"Well, what about you?"

"Me?"

"If I'm in denial and need to get over with it and move on-"

"Which you do."

"What about you?"

Abby moved had hands away and took a step back, crossing her arms. Neela continued,

"If I need to realise it's been two years, so do you. Luka's been out there two years; you need to see that he's not coming back anytime soon. All he is to his son is a voice on the other end of the phone, a voice that speaks to him in a language that no one else he knows even understands."

"I don't want to talk about this again, Neela."

"And I don't want to talk about Ray."

Ray leant against a stall door in the men's toilets, hiding from the stares and from Abby who looked like she meant business every time she headed in his direction. He leant down and rubbed the aching muscle of what was left of his right leg below the knee. It would be only two more hours before he could take some meds. He tensed as the main door opened, then realised that no one would see who it was in the end stall. He was still safe.

"_Can you believe the nerve of the guy?_" Great, just what he needed, Gates.

"_Tony, man. You need to let it go. I've only been here six months and even I've heard her tell you to keep away and out of her life a billion times._" The new guy, Chase.

"_But still, he saunters back in like he owns the place._"

Ray heard Chase snort at Gates' words,

"_You're kidding, right?_"

"_No._" He could feel the man's puzzlement from where he was.

"_The guy is back somewhere he hasn't been for years, back somewhere where he was last a totally different guy. People he's known forever are ignoring him at best. I'm not even going to go into the amount of pain he must be in. And you think he's acting like he owns the place?_"

"_What are we having this conversation for anyway, like a couple of girls in the bathroom?_"

"_You started it_."

The voices faded as they left the room.

Ray was not looking forward to his next meeting with Gates, it was like every time they were forced to work together the other man was barely keeping his thoughts to himself. At least it looked like the new guy wasn't so bad.

Taking a deep breath Ray stood up and left the bathroom, ignoring the look on Chase's face as he saw him exit. As he continued on down the hall he heard Katey's voice from an exam room, about to change direction to avoid her he heard Neela's voice answer back and he carried on towards them. Katey was not what Neela needed right now.

End part.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 4?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Birth  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Word Count: 1,063.  
Beta: shadowdiva without whom this fic would not be this long... and this chapter would not have been so good.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Ray stood just outside the exam room, the door open slightly.

"-_all your fault, and you know it!_" Katey was screeching.

"_But_-"

"_But, but_." Katey laughed. What the hell was going on? What was she up to now? "_Get over yourself you selfish bitch, none of it is about you._"

"_When did I ever say it was? You were the one who came in here and started laying in to me, Katey_."

Ray tuned out Katey's screeching as he noticed Neela seemed to be gasping. Enough that he was getting worried; Pratt had mentioned she was having breathing problems.

"_Oh, for God's sake you drama queen, it's not that bad._"

There was a sound of something small crashing to the floor and of Katey's laughter. That was enough; Ray pushed the door open and walked in, stopping in shock at the scene.

Neela was gasping for breath reaching for her inhaler on the floor, only her legs were stopping her from being able to and the wheezing was only getting worse. Katey was doing nothing, just watching a small smirk across her face.

Ray shook himself free of the shock and moved to pick up the inhaler, trying to catch Neela's eyes as he did so. Her eyes were on Katey and Katey only. It looked as if she hadn't even noticed Ray was in the room.

Catching hold of her shaking arm, he got her attention and lifted the inhaler up to her,

"Come on, Neela. You need to breathe." He held the inhaler up against her mouth and she closed her lips around it. "Just breathe."

She finally focused on him and looked even more worried, almost ready to step back from him.

"Nothing to worry about, Neela. Just take deep breaths. In and out." As she began to follow his breathing he smiled, "that's it, keep going. In and out. You need to be calm enough to take this."

He waited, trying to keep her breathing and then shouted out for help. Within seconds Pratt was bursting through the door.

"What did you do, Barnett?"

Neela started shaking her head and her breathing got worse again.

"Neela, don't worry its going to be ok. Just in and out, right? In and out." He glared at Pratt, "Wasn't me, Pratt. I came in and found her like this, why don't you ask Katey?" He turned to look at Katey, "Or, hey, better yet why don't you get the police to do it for you?"

With that comment he turned back to Neela and got her settled on a bed and finally got her to use the inhaler.

"I didn't do anything."

"Exactly." Ray said from his spot next to Neela. He found the nearest oxygen mask and fitted it to her face, ignoring her protests.

"What?" Pratt turned towards him, looking confused.

"I heard Katey screaming at Neela and then heard Neela having difficulty breathing so I came in. Neela had dropped her inhaler and was wheezing and Katey was just standing there watching with the smile on her face!"

He was almost shouting as he reached the end.

Katey was beginning to look worried, like she'd finally noticed that she could have killed Neela and that it would have been wrong.

Pratt looked furious and incredulous at the same time. The other three in the room watched as he stepped towards the door and opened it calling out the door,

"Security!"

* * *

Greg watched as two men from security pulled a protesting Katey away, one of them calling for another to get in contact with the police right away.

He was still shaking his head as he turned back toward Neela and Barnett. He wasn't sure what was going on with Barnett, he knew now that he hadn't deliberately left Neela alone for two years, but he wasn't ready to forgive him right off. Even if it did look like he'd just saved her life.

"Neela, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Greg. No need to worry about me."

Greg laughed and heads towards the nearest drugs cabinet coming back needle in hand,

"Sure, you're just that desperate to be back up in surgery again." Ignoring her scowl he took her left arm and injected her, "Just a sedative, you need to rest give your body a chance to calm down."

The two men stood and waited, watching as she drifted off. Once she was asleep Greg turned on Ray,

"Get out."

"What?"

"You heard me. She doesn't need you in here."

Greg watched as Ray bent down and started pulling up his right trouser leg,

"What are you doing?"

Ray looked up at him, his determination showing in his face,

"I let Katey keep me away when I didn't know what happened, man," he said as he started undoing a strap from his prosthetic, "no way am I going to let you keep me away now that I do know. So, either you back off or I can take off my leg and beat you with it."

Greg held up his hands, part in shock and part in admiration for the man in front of him, as he realised he really wasn't kidding.

"Fine, have it your way."

He left the room, a small smile on his face.

* * *

Neela shifted slightly as she drifted out of sleep to hear a voice she'd only really heard in her dreams these past few years.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I believed Katey and I'm sorry I wasn't there."

She felt someone pick up her hand, stroking it softly.

"But I'm here now. And I'm not leaving."

She lay there wondering what he meant, why he meant it, if he really meant it. Inwardly sighing she realised she couldn't stay like this; she had to let him know she was awake. She opened her eyes to that smile, the one that always made her feel better, no matter what.

"Hey."

She coughed, "Hey."

"Are you okay? Do you need any meds?"

She shook her head,

"I'm fine. How long was I asleep?"

He raised an eyebrow at her but let her get away with it,

"Just a few hours, Pratt told me Abby will take you home in a few hours."

Suddenly what he said earlier filters through,

"What are you doing here, Ray?"

"I said I wasn't leaving, Neela. I meant it."

End part.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 5?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Time  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Word Count: 1,793.  
Beta: Ash, without whom this chapter would be a mess.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Abby sighed as she helped Neela onto their apartment's only sofa. Her exhausted flatmate was having trouble keeping upright, even with the help of the crutch.

"Shit, Neela! I can't believe she did that!"

"Sit! Sit! Sit!" Joe started shouting.

"Oh, cr- oops. Joe, honey, don't say that."

After distracting Joe with his favourite DVD she curled up next to Neela on the sofa and continued the conversation.

"Actually, I sort of can believe it. Especially with all I've heard about her in the last week. Did you hear anything from the police?"

"Only that they were holding her at least over night," Neela said, nodding her head. Shifting to make her legs more comfortable she continued,

"They said something about a restraining order if they can't make any charges stick."

"At least that's something." Abby paused, trying to pick her next words carefully, she didn't want a repeat of the argument they'd had that morning, especially the end part, "What about Ray, though?"

"What about him?"

"Don't give me that innocent look, you know what I mean. He sat with you for hours."

"Fine," Neela sighed, "you were right."

"I was?"

"Yeah. He was talking to me when I woke up, said he didn't know, but that he was here now and not leaving. I pretended I hadn't heard him when I woke up."

Abby sighed and was about to comment when Neela held her hand up,

"It wasn't really the time for that discussion, Abby. Anyway, he repeated himself when I was 'awake'. Said he'd said he wasn't leaving and that he meant it."

"See!"

"See, nothing. That doesn't fix things just like that. You of all people know that one, Abs. There's four years of crap to sift through first."

"Cap! Cap! Cap!" Joe started shouting from where he'd managed to pause his DVD.

* * *

Neela was dosing slightly on the sofa, half listening to Joe's DVD when she heard someone knocking at the door.

"I've got it!" Abby shouted from where she was preparing tea in the kitchen.

Neela sighed and fell back under, only waking again when Abby shook her arm gently. Opening her eyes she found that Abby was crouching just in front of her.

"You've got a visitor. Dinner's on the table and I'm taking Joe out for something else."

Neela sat up, brushing the sleep from her eyes,

"What?"

"You. Visitor. Joe and me. Out." With that Abby picked up Joe from in front of the TV, reached to switch it off, and left, slamming the door shut on her way out.

Neela sighed, wondering whom her visitor could be, and why Abby would leave. She had a few guesses and really wished it wasn't any of them. She heaved herself up from the sofa and reached for her crutch and walked into the kitchen.

She stalled as she saw Ray, or rather Ray's back as he peeked inside the fridge.

"Making yourself at home, I see," she said, amused at how things seemed so _normal_.

Ray jumped slightly, banging his head on the top shelf. He was rubbing his head and grinning sheepishly as he turned to face her,

"Uh, yeah. Sorry, Abby said I could help myself to a drink," He said, waving the coke bottle in his hand.

"Right."

"Right."

"Uh," she smiled nervously and spotted the food on the table, "well, I guess," she gestured at the table, "have a seat."

"Ok." he smiled.

* * *

Ray dug into the food; it looked like Abby had learnt to cook some in the last few years. He said as much to Neela, all in the effort to make some conversation,_ it didn't used to be this hard._

"Oh, well, without Luka around and needing to feed Joe the right things and then having me but only to direct she really had to learn."

"I thought I recognised this dish."

"Yeah, you only ate every portion of it that I ever made, never giving me the chance to have leftovers."

"Uh, yeah," he grinned shyly and gestured with his fork towards the empty serving dish, "I guess some things never change."

"I guess." He watched as she lowered her eyes from his face, again. As if she couldn't look at him. He sighed.

"What?" she asked, still not looking up.

"Is my face that bad?"

"What?" now, from what little of her face that he could see, she looked confused.

"You can't even look me in the face, Neela."

"I, uh-" she finally looked up and stared at him.

"I've had plenty of people refuse to look me in the eye in the past two years, Neela. But, I never thought you'd be one of them."

"No! That's not why I-" she stopped herself, something in her eyes stopping her from continuing.

"No? What is it then?"

"I. I- it's my fault."

Ray laughed.

"You know, when Pratt told me that I thought he was just laying it on thick, trying to make me feel worse. But I should have known better. You always did like to take all the blame for yourself."

"What? But it is, Ray. If I hadn't stalled for so long. If-"

"The whole world shouldn't be about what if's, Neela. It's not something either of us can change. It's not something either of us can really take all the blame for. We both made mistakes..."

"But what? If I hadn't sent you mixed signals -"

"Mine were pretty mixed up, too. I never wanted to be with Katey, I just wanted to get back at you for letting Gates get close when you pushed me away."

"That was about history and him not having any. Something uncomplicated-"

"Uncomplicated?" he laughed.

"I didn't say it worked, did I?" she countered, suddenly full of the words she hadn't been able to find earlier, "it was just supposed to be something short and-, and like a rebound before-"

"Before you grew up and got on with your life?" he ran a hand through his hair, "before me?"

"Where were you when I got married? Oh, that's right, sitting right there watching me!"

"Would you have listened if I had said anything?"

"Maybe. Probably. But we'll never know will we? Because you didn't even try!"

"You said you fought for me, but how hard, Ray? When Gates was getting close, where were _you_? Yes, that's right! You were _watching_! I wasn't the only one who needed to grow up." She took a breath and started yelling, "Like everything else in your life, you backed off the minute it would've meant being _real_! So how was I supposed to know if you never told me?"

"I was trying, you were the one that kept saying you needed time!"

"Yeah, and how many flings did you plan on in the mean time, huh, Ray?" she threw back. "Who was next after Katey? Sam? Chuny? Some other med student?"

"Wow, you've waited a real long time to get that off your chest, haven't you? 'Cause this is a real first for you, actually talking about your feelings. I'm not the only one that runs when things look like they're getting a little too real!"

He watched as she gaped at him, trying to find her feet in an argument she was suddenly loosing. Well, it was his turn now,

"You talk about me having little flings, never saying anything. Who does that sound like to you?"

"Are you kidding me? Would you like me to go through your laundry list?"

_Crap, maybe I should have thought that one through._

"Jessica, Zoe, Ashley, Katey, and that doesn't count the ones whose names I never knew and you probably didn't care to know."

"Ok, fine. You've made your point. Bottom line is, we've both made plenty of mistakes and you didn't pour that tequila down my throat and you didn't push me in front of that truck."

"As far as Katey's concerned I may as well have."

He laughed and shook his head,

"Katey's a nut case. You wanna take her word, be my guest. They can get you a rubber room right next door"

He watched as she carefully put down her cutlery, stood and carried her dirty plate to the sink. She wasn't looking at him again.

"This," he said, grabbing her attention, and then gesturing to his legs, "is not your fault. I'll admit that I blamed you at first, but only because it was easier than admitting that I did it to myself." He grinned, sheepish.

"You know better than anyone how good I've always been at owning up to my shit."

He watched as she sank against the sink, taking a deep breath and turned back around to face him, tears in her eyes.

"Shit. Neela, I didn't mean to make you cry."

She shook her head, taking calming breaths, trying to speak,

"No, this is- Abby would tell you this is good. You finally got me to cry."

"Finally?"

"First time in two years." She tried to smile, then collapsed back against the sink, drifting to the floor in full drawn out sobs.

Ray rose slowly and walked over to her. He reached down, holding out his hand. "Come on, Roomie, don't make me get down there. We might not be able to get back up."

She smiled at him through her tears and reached her hand up, steadying herself against the counter.

"What a pair we make, huh?" He said as he helped her up off the floor.

* * *

Neela watched from the kitchen table as Ray did the dishes, she'd tried to help but he'd laughed her off saying, _you could never get me to do them before, and now you're trying to stop me? Besides, Pratt was right, these days I am more manoeuvrable than you are_. She hadn't known what to say to that, so she'd let him get away with it.

"So-" he started to say.

"So?"

"Where do we-" he continued.

"-go from here?" she finished, knowing where he was taking the conversation.

He nodded.

"I, I don't know, Ray. I want to say I need time, and space."

"The whole continuum."

She rolled her eyes at his back and continued,

"-but, well, that worked out so well last time. But-"

"But you're still as scared shitless about this as I am?"

"Yeah."

"How about- how about, friends?"

"Friends?" she didn't know what to say to that.

He turned back to face her putting the tea towel down on the table.

"It's how we started out, we can do it again. Take things from there. See how it goes. No other interference from outside agents."

"See how it goes." she said, grinning. _See how it goes._

End part.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 6?Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Parallel  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Beta: Ash.  
Word Count: 1,198.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Abby sighed into her morning cup of coffee as she watched Neela hobble through the apartment on her crutch, rushing to get ready for her first day back at work. She knew that something had happened that night she'd left Ray in the kitchen. She just didn't know what, neither of them would tell her a thing. All she knew was that in the weeks since they were both happier, and lighter, and she would sometimes come home to find that 'Mr. Ray' had been over and helped with the very important task of colouring in Piglet.

"So, are you looking forward to it?" she asked as Neela finally stopped and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"I think so."

"You _think_ so?" Abby asked, an eyebrow raised, "You've been itching to get back to work ever since you woke up!"

"I know," Neela started, a worried look on her face, "but now that the day is here, I- I'm just nervous. I'm being silly, it'll be fine. And anyway, Pratt has me on light stuff only to settle back in, no traumas. So it should be a light day."

* * *

Pratt had made sure that Neela's first shift back had coincided with one of his own, he couldn't jig the rota much more than that, but at least he could be around to deal with any problems that arose.

As he sauntered in through the ambulance bay he was glad of his forward thinking. The ER was packed out, the heat of the day bringing in more patients than usual, heat strokes and barbeque accidents were the order of the day. He found Neela leaning against the desk at Admin watching the hustle and bustle.

"Good day to be back, huh?" he asked, a grin on his face, happy to see her roll her eyes at him as she nodded. He turned to the staff gathered for the start of the shift,

"Alright people! Let's show our girl we've still got it. Get to it and stop your gawking."

As the staff moved to swap over with those just leaving he grabbed Neela's attention and pulled her into a calmer corridor,

"You tell me the second it gets too much for you, right?"

"If it does."

"_Neela_."

"Fine. The minute I start to feel anything I'll tell you," she ran her free hand through her hair, "anything else?"

"Nope. Get to it. Oh, and stay out of trauma. I mean it."

"Sure."

He watched as she moved off back into the fray. He saw as Ray sauntered by and as they smiled at each other. At least something seemed to have settled for them. He hoped. Because God knew no one had a clue of what had gone down between them.

* * *

Hope barreled into the break room, trying to hide from Archie. He had sworn to get her for that thing she'd said as she'd left the house this morning. As she entered she noticed Neela sitting drinking a coffee.

"Hey, Neela," she said as she reached for the coffee pot and poured her own drink.

"Hope, hi. How are you?"

"Oh, you know," she waved her hand as if that could answer.

"Hiding from Morris?" Neela grinned.

"How did you know?" she laughed and took a sip of coffee, "Anyway, how're things for you? You've been back a few weeks now... so...?"

"Oh, everything's great. Greg's even thinking of letting me do some trauma work," Neela answered, a large grin on her face.

"He is? That's great!"

She was about to say more when the door opened again, this time it was Ray,

"Hey Neela," he said and then noticed she was in the room, "and uh, Hope."

"Ray," they both said.

All was quiet as Ray got his own mug of tea and found the honey that had fallen down by the side of the fridge. Ray sat opposite Neela and Hope watched them both; they seemed to be waiting for something. _Oh!_

"Oh," she said as she stood up suddenly, "I, um, well Archie's bound to find me in here soon enough, so I'll be going. Now. Bye!"

* * *

Robert Chase left the trauma room a fresh faced Neela Rasgotra walking alongside him. He still wasn't used to her crutch, it felt too normal to him.

"So, I guess you're enjoying be able to be back inside the trauma room, then?" he asked her.

"Definitely. Working my way back up," she replied.

"Oh, of course. You were originally in surgery, right?"

"Not exactly, I transferred across to surgery about a year before my accident."

"Right," he was about to continue when Ray appeared ahead of them.

"Hey Neela, Chase."

"Hey, Ray," they said in unison.

"So, uh, Neela, that cup of coffee?" Ray asked hesitantly, taking a quick look in Chase's direction as he did so.

"Yeah, sure. Give me five minutes, I have to update a few charts then I'll be right with you."

"Sure, walk you to admin?"

"Sure."

Chase watched as the pair walked away, smiles on their faces.

* * *

Sam left the hospital and headed for the El, taking the quick route home to be back in time for Alex to get home from school, waving to Ray and Neela as they walked from the coffee cart back to the hospital and smiling as they grinned back at her.

As she climbed the stairs she thought back over the last two months. Having Neela back, with the crutch, was almost like having Weaver back - the warning sign but less of the snark.

The hospital was rife with gossip over what was going on with the pair. Everything from they really hated each other but were just keeping up the 'friendship' for the sake of others to they were having a wild passionate affair.

Sam had laughed off both extremes and preferred to think that what was really going on was more of a middle ground. A repeat of what had gone on years before, this time without the distractions provided by Gallant and Gates or ZoК and Katey. If their constant smiles in the face of others were anything to go by, this time things were going great.

She frowned as she took a seat on the barely full train. If her past relationships at County were anything to go by, no one could take those smiles as truth of a good relationship. She had long since lost count of how many times she had smiled when all she had wanted was to cry.

* * *

Gates watched from a distance as Neela and Ray walked in the doors of the ER. They were smiling, _again_. He sighed; he'd given her the time and space he thought she wanted. All those protestations of hers were just her asking for space. It looked like he would have to do something, step up his game, before he lost it, her, all together.

As they passed him on their way to admin he called out to Neela, maybe now was the time to make his case known again. Sarah was back on her feet. Neela was back on hers. Everything was right.

End part


	7. Chapter 7

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 7?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Reflection  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Beta: Ash: thanks, hon.  
Word Count: 1,330.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Joe watched as his Mommy and his Aunty Nee ran round the house looking really silly. He laughed as his Mommy looked at him and started asking where his shoes had gone. He pointed to the room with the hot machines he wasn't supposed to touch. Then when Aunty Nee asked he pointed to the water room. And then he went back to playing with his Pooh bear.

He looked up as he felt his Mommy come back into the room and watch him, that funny look on her face. The one where she knew what he was up to. She waved her finger at him and then picked up his shoes from under the big chair in the corner. He threw up his hands and giggled.

They were going to the big place today. He was going to play with all the other children in the big coloured room. And then Mr. Ray was going to come with him and Aunty Nee to the park and they were going to feed the ducks. He wondered if Mr. Ray would help him colour again.

"Mommy!" he shouted.

"Yes, Joe," she answered and then picked him up and sat him in his big chair and started putting his shoes on.

"Mr. Ray help colour?" he said waving Pooh bear around.

"I don't know Joe, you'll have to ask him when you see him," Mommy had her naughty grin on again as she finished putting his shoes on and picked him up.

"Right then, little man, off we go!"

* * *

Ray picked up his steaming cup of coffee from the coffee cart outside the ER and handed the coffee guy the money. He took a sip, grinned at the guy, it was good to have the coffee, and even if it wasn't the best in the world it still felt like home to him. He walked slowly towards the bay doors, watching as a rig pulled in at high speeds and Abby and Pratt came crashing through the doors to deal with this latest trauma.

He nodded as Pratt shouted over to him to take the case they'd been working on to himself, and to grab Neela if he needed anything more. He avoided Abby's eyes at the mention of Neela and sped up to get back inside.

The summer heat was not lessened by the trip inside; the air conditioning was down again. He stepped through the piles of people waiting in triage and headed to admin. Frank was watching him again,

"What?" he asked, letting his irritation at this constant watching bleed through.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Frank answered and then turned to Morris, his overplayed wink visible to everyone.

Ray rolled his eyes and reached for the chart Pratt had left by the phones. He looked over Pratt's notes,

"Frank, are the labs back on the patient in four yet?" he asked.

"What am I? Your assistant?" Frank snarked back, and then handed over the labs.

"Thanks, Frank," he laughed.

"Don't mention it," Frank grumbled.

Ray sighed in relief to discover that the patient, a toddler, was clear on the worst-case scenario and left to inform her parents. As he walked over to them he could feel everyone watching him again. _It's not paranoia if everyone_ is _watching you_.

It had been like that ever since he and Neela had had dinner a few months back. Ever since they'd decided to see how it went. The gossip mongers were surrounding them, watching their every move for some sign of _anything_ to let them know what was really going on.

He reached his destination with a wry grin on his face,

"Hey Tabby, how are you feeling?" he asked the toddler.

She frowned at him and then stroked her stomach,

"Sore."

"Well," he started, looking at her parents too, "the good news is that it's nothing to worry about and we can send you home with something to make you feel a lot better."

* * *

Neela was exhausted, but elated too. Everything was beginning to feel right again. She was back at work in the ER, back at work on traumas and Greg was even making noises about letting her have shifts up in surgery once a week just to get her settled. She leant on her crutch and took a sip of her juice, putting the cup down she went back to the chart she had been filling in, letting the sounds around the admin fade away.

It wasn't just work that was making things feel right again. It was Ray. She smiled, the smile that she knew that half the staff was watching for these days, Ray was Ray and this time she could have that. She felt eyes on her back and turned to find Frank watching her,

"Something I can help you with, Frank?" she asked.

"No, nothing. It's just that smile you have-"

"Do you have something against people smiling, Frank?" she butted in.

"It's just that smile," he continued, ignoring her comment, "it's very familiar. I swear I saw it not but a few hours ago."

"People _are_ allowed to smile, Frank."

They were interrupted by a shout from a squealing toddler,

"Mr. Ray!"

Both Neela and Frank turned to see Ray walking towards the admin from one direction and Abby with a bouncy Joe in her arms from the other. Ray grinned and waved at Joe and Neela could almost see the cogs whirring in Frank's brain.

As all three of them reached admin Joe continued,

"Mr. Ray! Duck and colour?"

"I think he means duck and cover," Frank muttered behind Neela.

"Sure, Joe," Ray answered, "we're going to feed the ducks with your Aunty Nee and then we'll colour in while we're waiting for your Mommy."

"Pooh!" Joe shouted.

Ray grinned and winked at Abby,

"If we have to, are you sure you wouldn't prefer something else?"

"No!" Joe shouted and shook his head so much that Abby had to readjust her hold on him.

Ray leaned over the admin counter, winked at Neela, and reached for something he'd placed under a pile of charts earlier in his shift he pulled it out and hid it behind his back,

"Not even Baloo?"

"Baoo?" Joe asked, suddenly curious.

"Well," Ray said, keeping his prize hidden, "if you only want to colour Pooh..."

"Baoo!"

Ray grinned and pulled out the Jungle Book colouring book from behind his back.

Joe leaned as far as he could to try and grab it.

"Nah, we'll give it to your Aunty Nee to look after, we don't want the ducks to decide they want to colour in too, do we?"

"No! Bad ducks!"

* * *

Gates had watched the disgusting display from behind curtain two and then watched as Neela, Abby, Joe and Barnett headed for the lounge. He really did need to step up his game. He busied himself with the nearest patient while he waited for her to come back out again.

He looked up from the patient when he heard Joe's voice again, did that kid never shut up? He sneered as he watched Abby say goodbye to her son, then to Neela and Barnett. Joe was bundled up in Barnett's arms and reaching out to pat Neela's face as they walked towards the exit, now was his chance,

"Neela!" he shouted.

She turned and he ignored the sigh,

"Yes, Gates?" Gates, when did he become Gates again? He blocked out the little voice in the back of his head that said it had been two years since she'd last called him Tony.

"Uh, can we talk?" he asked, trying to pull her away from the kid and Barnett.

"Now, Gates?" she asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"Uh, yeah." _When else?_

"I'm sorry," she said, an apologetic look on her face, "I'm busy, maybe later?"

"Right," he nodded and then watched as she left the building laughing and talking with Joe and Barnett.

End Part.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 8?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Extrinsic  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Beta: Ash, many thanks, hon.  
Word Count: 1,164.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Ray sat on his sofa, an arm around Neela, and watched the poker tournament he'd recorded for her from the night before. This was- it was almost too much. Things were finally coming back around. Only it seemed as if things were going to be less complicated than last time, hopefully less painful too. He shifted closer to Neela, to get more comfortable, and she leaned in closer to him, a smile across her face as she watched the screen.

The peace was disturbed by a car horn outside. Neela jumped,

"Oh," she looked at her watch, "is that the time already? That'll be Abby."

Ray hit pause on the remote and turned to face her,

"You really have to go?"

"I really have to go," she told him, even though her face said she wished it were otherwise. She turned to pick up her crutch from its resting spot at the side of the sofa and then steadied herself to stand.

"Neela?" he asked, watching as she turned back towards him, a soft smile on her face.

"Yeah?"

He reached out his hand towards her face, and she leaned in, meeting his lips in a soft kiss. She jumped as Abby sounded her horn again; she stood, sending Ray a disappointed smile.

"Let's not wait two years for the next one, huh?" he asked, a grin covering his face.

"Let's not," she answered, laughing.

"Tomorrow?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," she answered.

* * *

He smiled as he walked across the floor of his apartment; things were looking up for him and Neela. He hummed to himself as he sorted the mail, bills, junk mail and a couple of journals. There was nothing too interesting for him that morning.

Hearing the microwave ping he collected his breakfast from it and sat at the kitchen table, reading over his list of things to get done before work, to plan for him and Neela to do on their date (he kept telling himself it would be a date).

Joe would be staying with his Grandmother for the next week; he'd heard Abby mention it at work. So that meant that they could do something grown-up, that he wouldn't have to think of something that would entertain Joe as much as it would his aunt.

Making one last note to his list, _buy flowers_, he stood and carried his bowl to the sink. He looked up as he heard feet clattering across the floor above,

"Sarah!" he shouted, "Get a move on, we haven't got all day!"

He laughed and shook his head as she swore at him from her room; one day she'd actually be ready on time.

* * *

"You ok?" Ray asked as he followed Neela and her pile of charts towards the admin desk.

"Hmm?" she asked, not having heard him.

"I said, are you ok? You look a little queasy," he repeated with an amused smile.

"I'm fine, ah!" she held him in place with a look, "don't say it. I'll be better when this day is over."

"Oh, come on. This shift isn't too bad," he told her, trying to keep her mind off the meeting he knew she had later on.

"For you, maybe," she narrowed her eyes at him, "but for those of us that are actually working," she trailed off.

"Hey!" he protested, "I'm doing plenty of work!"

She reached admin, put her pile of charts down next to Jerry and turned to face Ray, hands on hips,

"Really?" she asked with an eyebrow raised, "Who was it that took the last five patients?"

"Hey," he held his hands up in defence, "if _somebody _wasn't in such a hurry to get the day over with, I would be doing more work."

"Uh huh-"

"Hey, you two lovebirds actually have time for some patients?" Pratt shouted from across the way.

Ray shot Neela a look. Catching her blush, he quickly apologised to Pratt and took off with a handful of charts before Neela could protest.

* * *

Neela held in her laughter until Ray had turned a corner, then let loose. Only stopping at the amused look on Jerry's face,

"What?" she asked him.

"Oh, nothing," he answered mysteriously, and got back to work.

"Sure," she said and picked up her own set of charts.

As she headed for her next patient she couldn't stop her mind drifting towards the only thing that had made her dread the end of shift. Her meeting with Gates, she snorted, she hadn't called him Tony since Abby's wedding. There were a _lot _of things that hadn't happened since Abby's wedding.

After a week of him bugging her to talk to him whenever he got the chance she finally gave in and told him they'd meet for coffee after shift. The look on his face told her he'd forgotten what coffee meant. How he actually thought he still had any sort of a chance with her she did not know. Didn't her icy demeanour towards him for the last two years tell him anything? Of course, she was grateful to him that he'd got medical attention to her as quick as he could at her accident, but that did not mean she would go back to him.

_Why now? _Of course, Ray had suggested it was that Gates'd thought all along he still had some sort of a chance and now that Ray himself was back in the picture Gates had realised that maybe that wasn't so - and was going for the all out last ditch attempt.

She laughed to herself as she greeted her patient.

* * *

As Neela was about to leave the doctors lounge at the end of shift Ray entered, a smile on his face.

"At least someone has something to be happy about," she grumbled at him, knowing he was likely to say something to lift her spirits.

He grabbed her hand and tugged, letting her drift towards him,

"Hey," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Hey," she answered and then leant in, another soft kiss to his lips and then she darted back adding with a grin, "not two years."

He laughed,

"Not this time, not the next," and dipped his face to hers, kissing her again.

She sighed and leant her head to his chest, taking a deep breath she stood up again,

"I guess I have to go do this," she told him.

"Yeah," he answered, "you know I'm here, always."

"Always," she whispered and left.

* * *

Tony watched them through the window in the door to the lounge, and then moved quickly away as Neela turned to leave. He almost couldn't believe what he had just seen. What did she think she was- _ah_. She was doing it again, leading Barnett on. He still had a chance.

As she headed towards him he ignored her less than happy face and grinned at her,

"Hey!" he said loud enough for anyone nearby to overhear, "you ready?"

End part.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: What Goes Around Comes Around 9?  
Author: Emony  
Fandom: ER  
Pairing: Neela/Ray  
Prompt: Loss  
Rating: FRT  
Disclaimer: The names of characters contained herein are the property of the copyright holder of "ER." No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and said characters are used here without permission.  
Spoilers: "The Honeymoon is Over"  
Beta: Ash, thanks, hon.  
Word Count: 1,373.  
Summary: Ray's first day back at County doesn't go quite the way he expects.

* * *

Neela sat in the booth of the posh coffee shop Gates had chosen for their meeting and watched as he stood at the counter ordering the drinks and flirting with the girl at the till. She laughed and shook her head; how he thought he had any sort of a chance with her when he acted like that confused her. It was as if he believed that she would want him anyway and ignore him if he chased anyone else.

He winked at the girl, picked up their coffee and sauntered back over to the booth. He put his drink down and handed hers over with a flourish.

"Something funny?" he asked.

"Oh," she shook her head and covered the grin, "no, nothing."

"You sure? I could use something to brighten up my day," he wheedled.

Neela nearly snorted, if Ray was right this was supposed to be the big 'get the girl' coffee date for him and he said something like that. Shouldn't just being in her presence do that for him anyway?

"It was nothing, just something Joe did at breakfast yesterday," she answered, knowing that even hinting at the topic was a sure fire way to get him to get on with whatever it was he was going to say. She took a sip of the coffee and winced, he'd bought her least favourite, again.

"You ok?"

"Fine. Just hot."

"Right," he answered and took a breath.

_Here we go._

* * *

Ray finished with the last of his notes and started to pack up his things for the night. He was cooking for Neela tonight, needed to get home and get things going so that it would all be ready for when she got away from Gates. As he opened his locker the lounge door opened, he turned and saw Pratt standing a few feet away, a slight frown on his face,

"Hey, man. What's up?" he asked.

"Gates," was Pratt's reply.

"What'd he do now?" Ray asked, wondering if he'd done something before he'd left, or maybe it was just that he'd made a big deal out of leaving with Neela. He couldn't figure out which was most likely.

"He, uh. How are you and Neela?" Pratt asked, obviously switching his tactics.

Ray sighed and rolled his eyes,

"He made a big deal didn't he?"

"What? You know that-, that uh-," he faltered.

"That Neela's having _coffee_ with him? Yeah," Ray grinned.

"Oh," Pratt answered then smiled, "oh. Does he realise what he's in for?"

"Nope."

"Great. Now that that's out of the way," he continued, "we need to talk, man."

"Okay. Can it be quick? I need to get dinner started."

"Sure, it can be real quick. When you came back, well, you know what we all thought," he started.

"Yeah," Ray said, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, it's not what I think anymore. But I still have to say this. You take things slow. You do it right. And if you hurt her, well, you're a dead man."

"I know. And I will, uh, do it right. Be good to her and all that."

"Great," Pratt said, sighing in relief, "now that's outta the way, you free for beers with me and the guys tomorrow night? Obviously, Gates isn't invited."

"Well, not beer, but sure."

* * *

"I thought it was time," he told her, hoping that this was the way to go.

"Time for what?" she asked.

"It, it's been two years, since we, you know."

"It has," boy, she wasn't planning on making this easy for him, was she? Just like her, making him work for it. But, there was always an 'it' to work for.

"So, I figured it was time for me to say, to, uh, throw my hat back in the ring. Or, well, more like point out that it's still in there, has been since I met you."

"Throw your hat back in the ring?" she asked, slowly, with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah."

"What?" she asked, her voice raising a little, "like I'm the prize in some sort of competition?"

"That's," _shit_, "that's not what I meant, Neela."

He reached his hand out towards her, an attempt to sooth her, she flinched back.

"Oh," she said icily, "what _did_ you mean, then?"

"It's just that, well, especially with Barnett being back and you looking like-"

"With me looking like what? And what's Ray got to do with-" she butted in.

"Are you kidding me? What's he got to do with this? You getting a kick out of playing us off of each other, is what he's got to do with it."

He watched as her frown turned into a smile and then she laughed,

"What?" he asked, smiling. _Finally, a turn for the better._

She coughed and schooled her face, waving her hand she said,

"Nothing, carry on."

Oh, so this was how she wanted to play it. He had to say his piece before she'd let him know he'd won. He hid a grin and continued,

"I wanted to let you know that I'd like us to try again. I-"

"Stop," she said, holding a hand up, "stop right there. I'm sorry; I just can't let you go on. It's just too cruel."

He smiled, _finally_.

"What planet do you live on, Gates?" _What?_

"Seriously, Gates. What have I done in the last two years that has said to you I wanted you back?"

"I, what?" This was _not_ what he had been expecting.

"I am sick of you hovering over me all the time. So I'm going to say this one last time, are you listening to me?"

He nodded,

"I don't _need _you. I don't _want_ you. And I want you to _leave me alone_," with that she stood, leaving her barely started coffee on the table, grabbed her crutch and hobbled away.

He sat and stared into his empty cup.

"Can I get you another, hon?" he looked up to see the cute girl from behind the counter smiling at him, "you look like you're having a bad day."

He smiled; maybe he could get something good out of his day.

"Sure, that'd be great."

He ignored the voice in the back of his head that said that this was exactly the behaviour that led to Neela acting like she was.

* * *

Ray opened his door with smile on his face,

"Hey, come in, come in."

"Wow," she said as she stepped through the door, "something in here smells great."

"Why, thank you, kind lady," he answered with a grin, "can I take your coat?"

She laughed at him and handed the coat over.

"Have a seat at the table, I'll bring everything over in a second. There's a glass of your favourite waiting for you."

"Thanks," he heard her answer as she moved away from him towards the table. He dished up the last of the meal and carried it through to her,

"Dinner is served."

"Oh, Ray. This looks and smells fabulous," she sighed and then took a bite of the pasta dish, "tastes pretty good too."

They were silent for a minute or two as they ate and Ray watched Neela's tense shoulders relaxing as the time passed.

"So, I take it it went, uh, as well as that sort of thing could be expected to?" he asked, wanting to get the elephant in the room out of the way.

"I guess so," she answered, taking a sip of her drink, "you were right, he actually thought there was a chance of us getting back together. I feel a bit mean, I ended up laughing at him because just the possibility of that was so out there it just-" she trailed off for a moment, "it was ridiculous. I set him straight and walked out. So we're probably in for one hell of a day at work tomorrow."

"At least that part's out of the way, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled at him, "yeah, it is. And now, now I've got more important things to focus on."

"Oh, you do, do you?" he asked, grinning.

"Sure, like what you've made me for pudding!" she laughed.

"You and your 'puddings', I swear you're addicted."

"No more than any other girl."

End part.


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